Another wonderful present for you guys to unwrap and enjoy. :) Don't forget to leave a little something for the author, too. :)
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Prompt by Jess (woahrafferty): Donna pops by Harvey's and calls him down to the lobby because she's bought him a giant tree and loads of new decorations, determined to finally get him into the Christmas spirit after he'd been bringing the mood down at work and there's been tension between them. She plays Christmas songs, she wants to put the star on top of the tree but can't reach, he lifts her to reach and they both fall to the floor, and then… (up to the writer, but maybe not too M rated if they go down that route)
Story by: Katie (u/11036699/prettylittlekt)
Harvey groaned frustratedly, moving his hand about blindly to attempt to shut off what he presumed to be his alarm. He opened one eye after a minute, unable to figure out the cause of the noise with his face still buried in his pillow. Sighing, he reached for the buzzing phone and, without even looking at the caller ID first, answered.
"It better be good." He mumbled.
"Good morning to you too, grumpy pants."
He sat up immediately, uttering confusedly, "Donna?"
"Harvey?" She returned.
"Why are you calling me at," He paused to look at his clock, "7am on a Saturday?"
"Can we have this conversation when you're more than half awake and helping me to carry my things, in, say, 5 minutes in your lobby? See you then!"
His tired brain failed to even string a vaguely comprehensible sentence together before she had hung up the phone, and he frowned at the uncharacteristic behaviour of the Donna he thought he knew so well. He contemplated ignoring the whole situation completely and staying in bed, but the concept of Donna making it into his apartment (which he was sure she would) and him facing her wrath made him damn near leap out of bed.
After considerably more than 5 minutes, Harvey pulled open the door to the lobby, blinking twice when he saw what his favourite redhead was surrounded by.
"Seriously?" He uttered, stunned.
"Seriously what? Don't be a grinch." She replied, admiring the Christmas decorations by her feet.
"Even the goddamn Santa Claus would be surprised, Donna, give me a break."
She stood, and he took her in, gazing at her faded jeans and sweater warmly, trying to subtly appreciate the sight that he so rarely got to see.
"Stop staring and carry these." She ordered, tugging her too-big sweater back into place before gesturing to the array of Christmas decorations.
"You just look different, that's all." He moved forward to do as she'd asked, scooping up a box of ornaments distastefully.
"Well even I can't decorate in Givenchy and heels, Harvey, so you'll just have to cope."
"I meant good different!" He called after her.
"Liar!" She retorted, not even glancing back as she moved towards the elevator.
He shook his head, gaze falling onto the sway of her hips unintentionally as she walked away, appreciating her choice of clothing more than he would let on.
He stepped into the elevator behind her, placing the box on the floor and glancing over at her satisfied smirk amusedly, almost laughing at the absurdity of it all. Out of all the things he had planned to do on December 23rd, standing next to Donna in sweats whilst she hummed Christmas tunes was not what he had expected.
"Why did you decide on this particular form of torture?" He asked, only half joking.
She narrowed her eyes at him before speaking, "It's not torture, Harvey, it's called having Christmas spirit."
"I'm going to need some spirit if I'm getting through today. And I don't mean the Christmas sort." She shook her head exasperatedly at him, pressing the button to his penthouse.
"What exactly do you plan to make me do today?" He questioned, carrying the box into his apartment.
"First, we get the rest of the decorations, and -"
"Wait, this isn't all of them?" He spins around to face her, raising an eyebrow.
"Obviously not, Harvey, your apartment isn't a box. Anyway, we'll go and pick up the rest of the decorations on our way to the Christmas tree farm." She saw his eyes widen and he opened his mouth to speak but she continued, "Don't say a word, Specter. You're getting a tree, and you're going to have fun doing it. Now walk your pretty little self back into your bedroom and put some proper clothes on." Before he could protest, she turned away and got to work unpacking the ornaments.
He emerged fifteen minutes later, shaking his head at her quick attempts to change the place into a replica of Santa's grotto. He leaned against the doorway, smiling slightly as she adjusted the twinkling lights that had appeared above his fireplace. She sensed him standing behind her as she always did, turning and grinning at him as she watched him admire her handiwork.
"I know you're in awe, but we really should get going. I have more of my awesomeness in store."
"At a Christmas tree farm?"
"Yes, at a Christmas tree farm. Now get your coat, we're going to be late for our appointment."
"You made an appointment?" He groaned, fetching his coat and following her, feeling incredibly unprepared for whatever craziness Donna had prepared.
After a long yet successful (only after Harvey realised that Donna would not compromise on anything) trip and decoration session, Donna admires her handiwork, but frowning at the missing piece.
"Harvey?" She called out.
"What is it now? Don't tell me you need more ornaments." He teased.
"Can you, uhm, lift me up? To reach the top of the tree?"
He appeared from behind the kitchen counter, raising an eyebrow at her unusual state of fluster.
"Don't look at me like that. If you had gotten any actual chairs instead of these stools like I told you to, we wouldn't have this problem." She defended.
"Hey, if you hadn't picked a tree that almost touches the roof we wouldn't have the problem. Don't blame my furniture."
She tilted her head, almost daring him to insult her tree choice again.
He glanced towards the tree critically, "I think you'll have to get on my shoulders if we want any chance of getting to the top."
She nodded, "Alright, crouch down."
"At least take me to dinner first." He teased.
"I took you to a Christmas tree farm, which is better than dinner. Now crouch, Specter."
She hooked her legs over the top of his shoulders, arms steadying herself as his hands took hold of her legs. He raised himself to standing again, looking upwards as he watched her trying to balance the star.
"Harvey, stop wobbling so much!" She gripped his shoulders even harder, struggling to get the star straight.
"I haven't exactly had practise at this, Donna." They were both struggling to contain their laughter at the absurdity of it all - Donna Paulsen sat on Harvey Specter's shoulders whilst decorating his Christmas tree was not the norm.
"Don't make me rate you badly on Yelp, you know I will."
"You wouldn't dare. I have a 5 star piggy back reputation to uphold."
"Three stars at best, you're wobbling way too much." She shrugged, looking down at his faux-offended expression.
"Oh it's on, Paulsen. Rate this wobbling on Yelp!"
Her protests fell on deaf ears and she threw the star on the tree haphazardly, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging on to him for support. Their laughter rung out above the jazz rendition of Baby, It's Cold Outside and Harvey spun them around until the stitch in his side caused him to slow, noticing that somehow Donna had ended up facing him, legs and arms wrapped around him in an attempt to hold on and his arms around her waist just in case. She let her legs unwind and her feet touch the floor, but she was unbearably close to him and looking overwhelmingly beautiful and what was he meant to do, not lean in? He pulled her inexplicably closer, intertwining them to the point of no return, eyes darker and hearts faster as they both moved forward, falling into each other, until a shrill noise emanating from Harvey's back pocket rang out, making Donna jump back on reflex. She gestured for him to answer, mumbling something about how it may be important, when they were both fully aware that it was an excuse for her to gather her thoughts. He sighed, answering it regretfully and acknowledging Louis, who was blathering on about an issue that he could not have had less interest in if he tried. He watched her step back, pointing to the door as she signalled that she was leaving. He almost grabbed her hand, desperately trying to fix the broken moment without putting himself in jeopardy. She carried on walking, mouthing that she'd see him soon as she turned away, breath catching and tears forming at her naive belief that it could've finally happened. He shook his head, sinking into his sofa and hanging up the phone without a goodbye.
It was hours later, and she was desperately trying to distract herself with anything except Harvey-related thoughts, when her phone rang.
"Hey." She answered the phone, brow furrowing in worry when he didn't reply.
"Everything okay?" She continued.
"I - can you look out your window?"
"Harvey, it's late, I've got to be up early..."
"Just, please, look outside."
She rolled her eyes, moving out of her warm cocoon of duvet to the window, blinking twice when she saw a figure standing in the deep snow.
"Harvey, what the hell are you doing?"
"I needed to see you."
"When it's almost midnight and the deepest snow New York has seen in years?"
"Well it's not like I planned it."
She let out a small laugh and buzzed him in, saying, "Just come inside before you freeze to death, okay? I'm not sure I could handle being a senior partner as well as being COO."
"We both know that's not true." He smirked, pulling open the lobby door with his almost-numb fingers.
"I've been seeing Lipschitz more." He added, waiting for a response nervously.
A slight pause, and then, "That's... good. I'm glad."
"Talking to him made me realise some things."
"Obviously not how to keep yourself safe in snowstorms." She joked.
"Donna."
"Sorry, sorry. Carry on."
"I think you lied when you said you didn't feel anything." He said quickly, hands shaking as he gripped his phone closer to his ear, listening for any reaction.
She opened her mouth to speak but froze, heart pounding and mind racing as she tried to come up with something, anything, to get her out of the situation. He interrupted her thoughts, "Well, I hope you did, anyway. Things have changed a lot this year, and I looked at that god-awful tree and the lopsided star, and... I don't want to be alone on Christmas this year, Donna."
Her eyes close briefly, summoning inner strength before saying, "I'm not being some warm body to cure your Christmas blues, if that's what you're getting at. So you might as well turn back around." It was harsh, but it was her only way of convincing herself that it was wrong, that she wouldn't, couldn't, go there with him again. Not like that.
"No, Donna, you don't get it. I don't even like Christmas that much, you know that." He rubbed his forehead, stepping towards the staircase. She sank into her sofa on autopilot, mind too focused on whatever the hell Harvey was trying to tell her to think straight.
"I looked around and all I could see was that lamp you made me get when I moved apartment, and the cactus you thought I killed last year, and all I could think about was that you weren't there. And god, Donna, it scares the hell out of me. I still don't know how I love you, but I love your weird obsession with musicals, and how you drink scotch rather than red wine because I like it more. I love how excited you get about Christmas and Halloween and Thanksgiving, and how you always know what's best to order at any restaurant we go to. Maybe I should have told you before, when you asked, but I didn't want to lose you. I don't know why I'm saying it now, maybe it's because I quite possibly have pneumonia after the storm, or maybe because I'm just so tired of whatever this is, whatever we are." He lets out a shaky breath, heart damn near breaking at the silence on the other end of the line. He contemplated turning around, tired hand running across his face as he wondered if he'd made the worst mistake of his life. He rounded the corner to her door, deciding that he had to see it through. It had been too long in the making to walk away without answers, whatever they would be. He stepped forward, fist knocking against the door of apartment 206. He doesn't dare to hang up the phone, afraid to lose his only contact with her in the moment.
The knock resonated in her mind, scattering her wild thoughts to the edges of her brain as she realised that he was there. Right outside. Her first instinct was to run, to hide under a mountain of pillows until she was even slightly capable of comprehending it all and forming a response. Because what was she meant to say? That she was scared too? That she was terrified because it was everything that she wanted to hear, but she still wasn't sure that he wouldn't take it all back in the morning?
Hesitating, he utters, "Donna?"
She let out a breath, his soft tone breaking down her walls and her concerns fading into non-existence as he spoke. She got up, moving towards the door, heart expectant and head considering what the hell she was getting herself into.
She pulled open the door, letting herself consider that maybe, just maybe, he truly meant it, and that this was it, the peak of the turbulent 13 years they'd endured.
The door swung open and he ended the call, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He observed her reaction carefully, trying to gage her response and prepare himself. He saw doubt in her eyes, mixed with something he couldn't quite place, that he had only seen at late nights at the office with her shitty Thai and his scotch, or at Mike and Rachel's wedding.
"Hi." He exhaled carefully.
"Hey." She whispered, scared of what breaking the moment could do to them.
He shook his head, something akin to 'screw it' leaving his mouth as he stepped forward, threading his hands through her hair and locking his lips with hers. She froze, brain struggling to keep up with all of the surreal events happening at once, before stepping forward into his embrace, hands shaking as they drew him closer. The taste of her on his tongue lit up his heart like her fairy lights lit up his apartment, and he couldn't help but smile. She felt his grin on her lips, pulling back and resting her forehead on his as she let out a small laugh.
"Why have we been stubborn for so long?" He laughed, drawing her even closer by his hands on her waist.
"Because you're an idiot?" She tried jokingly, kissing his lips briefly.
"No, we're idiots." He corrected, unable to contain his happiness.
"True." She let her hands drop to his chest, looking up at him as she continued, "What does this mean?"
"Whatever you want it to. I'm all in, Donna, all in."
She paused, considering it, "Then I'm all in too."
Eyes shining, he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, mimicking their earlier position as he span her around, but this time, they didn't hesitate when her legs hit the floor.
It was the next day when they finally put up Donna's tree topper, and (unsurprisingly) it ended up lopsided too. She smiled through it all, eyes glistening as she considered that maybe, just maybe, the star on the tree would be lopsided every Christmas for the rest of her life. And, as always, she was right.